Should I attend a tour at Mykonos for sightseeing?

Our family will be visiting Mykonos in June. My original plan was to attend a tour for sight seeing. However after doing a little research, it seems that Mykonos is very small and most of the sights are within walking distance of the port. I plan to to visit the old town, little Venice, wind mills and perhaps if time allowed take a boat ride to visit Delos Island. Our port schedule is between 8am to 4 pm. I just want to make sure that we can do all this on our own without any difficulties and walk to all of the major sights except Delos Island where we will have to take the boat.

Mykonos town is very easy to do on your own. No need for a tour.

The sites you mention are very easy to do on your own. There should be a shuttle that drops you off at the edge of town.

I agree you do not need a tour on Mykonos. Just enjoy walking around the town.

I highly recommend Delos, but do be aware that it takes about an hour each way by ferry to get there and return.

I agree. It is very easy to do on your own and no need for an organized tour.

Keith

I agree you do not need a tour on Mykonos. Just enjoy walking around the town.

 

I highly recommend Delos, but do be aware that it takes about an hour each way by ferry to get there and return.

Do you have any recommendations on who to book a day trip to Delos with? We will be on a land tour and have 3 nights in Mykonos.

Thanks

Kay

Do you have any recommendations on who to book a day trip to Delos with? We will be on a land tour and have 3 nights in Mykonos.

Thanks

Kay

On my most recent trip to Mykonos, our ship actually tendered at Delos in the morning and offered a tour, then headed to Mykonos in the afternoon. My friend and I wanted to stay on Delos for the entire day, so we arranged with the ferry to purchase tickets that would let us stay later. The ferry also offers a guided tour. I don't think there are a lot of alternatives, but as it turns out the service gets good reviews (e.g., on TripAdvisor), and when I needed to email to ask questions about my plan, they got back to me promptly and were very helpful.

Here is the website: http://www.delostours.gr/en/

You can purchase tickets in advance or you can wait until you get there. I might advise waiting until your arrival so you can determine the best day based on weather. Sometimes the seas are bad enough that the ferry doesn't operate or has a limited schedule.

As a side note, despite all of our planning, my friend and I were not able to stay on Delos for the full day. The captain of our ship was concerned about the seas and just barely an hour after we arrived at Delos, he sounded the ship's horn for everyone to return to the ship as two water spouts had been sighted nearby! :eek:

We were still able to get to Mykonos for the afternoon, but when we went by and checked with the ferry office there, they had also cancelled all ferries to Delos for the rest of the day.

I would advise to go to Delos first thing in the morning. It gets very hot in the ruins (bring water) and the last ferry back is around 3 or 4. Get the tickets at the dock. It includes a sightseeing tour and it is quite good. On your return, take the shuttle in to town.

Thanks to all for the helpful suggestions. It does make sense to tour on your own. No wonder there's not much private driver or tour companies offered at Mykonos.

Having been to Mykonos four times I must say we were lucky and missed the weather options that frequently cause ships to miss this port. We have never taken a tour in Mykonos itself. Usually we just wander along the water, take dip in the sea, do a little shopping and have a simple lunch. On one trip we hired a taxi for an hour (40 euros) to drive us around the island as friends wanted to check out beaches and resorts thinking they might return for a week's stay. On another occasion we did go over to Delos and signed up for a tour there as otherwise I was concerned we would just be looking at a pile of stones that had little meaning. Having the guide was a big help. But if it is very hot day I would pass. Even in comfortable weather it can be uncomfortable (and I live in sunny Arizona). Wear a brimmed hat, lather up with sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

I'm thinking about a beach day. Is it easy enough to have taxi take me there and return me to town when I'm ready?

Yes and no. One issue with Mykonos is there are very few taxis. We were lucky to catch one coming back from the airport. There is a taxi stand in town about a ten minute walk from where the shuttle drops you. If you get off the ship early and there are no others in port you might be able to get one without a wait. There is also a very small beach right as you enter the town.

For anyone who has been to Mykonos and Delos before. There is a fun 4-wheel drive tour that takes you around the island. You have time to swim at three different beaches, visit a castle, have a great lunch, and some good sightseeing. There are a couple of operators. We went with Kyklomar:

http://kyklomar.com/excursion-4.php

We will be on Mykonos from 7am-10pm, perhaps that should be enough time to tour, visit beaches and Delos

We will be on Mykonos from 7am-10pm, perhaps that should be enough time to tour, visit beaches and Delos

You are lucky to have such a long day! I'd go to Delos first, if you are interested, as it gets very hot there in the afternoons. Then possibly a beach in the afternoon, back to the ship to shower, and dinner in Mykonos Town. :D

You are lucky to have such a long day! I'd go to Delos first, if you are interested, as it gets very hot there in the afternoons. Then possibly a beach in the afternoon, back to the ship to shower, and dinner in Mykonos Town. :D

Sounds like a plan :)

I'm thinking about a beach day. Is it easy enough to have taxi take me there and return me to town when I'm ready?

On our last cruise we caught a local bus which took us to Agios Ioannis beach made famous by Shirley Valentine

A lovelt taverna is on the beach with great sea food and a drink of the local oozo

Plenty of time was then left to get back to Mykonos town for a wander around the sites - Little Venice, the windmills etc

Hope this helps?

Kevin

Our family will be visiting Mykonos in June. My original plan was to attend a tour for sight seeing. However after doing a little research, it seems that Mykonos is very small and most of the sights are within walking distance of the port. I plan to to visit the old town, little Venice, wind mills and perhaps if time allowed take a boat ride to visit Delos Island. Our port schedule is between 8am to 4 pm. I just want to make sure that we can do all this on our own without any difficulties and walk to all of the major sights except Delos Island where we will have to take the boat.

I agree that Mykonos is very small & you can easily see all the attractions in town on foot and on your own. That being said, Mykonos has so much history and its a pity to be walking around all these beautiful place and not knowing the stories behind.

For anyone who has been to Mykonos and Delos before. There is a fun 4-wheel drive tour that takes you around the island. You have time to swim at three different beaches, visit a castle, have a great lunch, and some good sightseeing. There are a couple of operators. We went with Kyklomar:

http://kyklomar.com/excursion-4.php

Would never use Kyklomar again - they do not have good guides (escorts) - the one we had did not even know where we were in town (and we were in Little Venice) and her English was quite bad. It seems they hire anyone off the street that needs a job. Very disappointed. When we complained, they totally ignored our complaint.

Been to Mykonos few times and tried other tour operators who are so much better. In fact, its not even worth comparing them, that's how bad Kyklomar was in our experience.

Will it be warm enough for a beach day in mid-October in Mykonos?

Will it be warm enough for a beach day in mid-October in Mykonos?

For me it would but I'm from northern Scotland :) the temps are usually low 20's